I consider "running" to be around a 7-8 minute mile (7.5-8.5 mph) pace. I consider jogging to be something in the 10-12 minute mile pace (5mph-6mph). Sprints, all out 10-20 second runs with several minutes of rest in between. I think running is an important aspect of training but I wouldn't put all my eggs into that basket. My advice to people is to focus on being able to sustain a 75-85% of your max heart for at least 20 minutes, which should more or less translate into running a 5k race. You can exclusively jog or run as a means to lose weight but you will sacrifice a lot of muscle and there's the risk of injury from repetition. It's always best to vary what you do and how much you do it. But I can't stress enough the importance of diet. If you really focus on what you're eating and how much you're eating you'll have a lot more success than by just exercise alone.

cardio can be a mixed bag if you are trying to cut weight for climbing. it can cut your flab, but after intense sessions of running or cycling, your body is so starved that you crave and consume more food.

I've tried to cut weight for climbing by cycling 150 miles a weak, and was unsuccessful. It also built up huge leg muscles that have like 10 lbs of bulk that I never use climbing. This season, I have been WAY more successful at dropping weight by cutting overall caloric intake, cutting simple carbs, reducing all carbs, and upping lean proteins. All with less cardio and more gym climbing.

cardio can be a mixed bag if you are trying to cut weight for climbing. it can cut your flab, but after intense sessions of running or cycling, your body is so starved that you crave and consume more food.

I've tried to cut weight for climbing by cycling 150 miles a weak, and was unsuccessful. It also built up huge leg muscles that have like 10 lbs of bulk that I never use climbing. This season, I have been WAY more successful at dropping weight by cutting overall caloric intake, cutting simple carbs, reducing all carbs, and upping lean proteins. All with less cardio and more gym climbing.

Interesting. I rode 200+ miles a week, lost a few pounds and still have the chicken legs.

I've been getting a lot better at climbing recently but for the life of me I can't burn fat.

You need to consumer fewer calories. Diet is for weight loss; exercise is for fitness.

Christ, enough bullshit already. Weight loss results from negative energy balance, that is, when total energy expenditures exceed total energy intake. It doesn't matter whether the energy deficit results from diet, exercise, or a combination. Studies consistently show that it is easier to lose weight and keep it off when you combine exercise and diet.

cardio can be a mixed bag if you are trying to cut weight for climbing. it can cut your flab, but after intense sessions of running or cycling, your body is so starved that you crave and consume more food.

I've tried to cut weight for climbing by cycling 150 miles a weak, and was unsuccessful. It also built up huge leg muscles that have like 10 lbs of bulk that I never use climbing. This season, I have been WAY more successful at dropping weight by cutting overall caloric intake, cutting simple carbs, reducing all carbs, and upping lean proteins. All with less cardio and more gym climbing.

Yup, start jogging. Cardio does a lot more for burning fat than climbing. Climbing does very little.

That depends how you climb! I do a hell of a lot of cardio exercise on the big walls. Maybe your sort of climbing doesn't burn calories. Mine does :)

To the op. I think part of your problem is, being over weight makes you a slower climber. You need to get out of your comfort zone. Start pushing that body of yours beyond the pain barrier. If climbing is what you enjoy the most then learn how to do climbing drills. This will be hugely beneficial to not only your climbing ability and your level of fitness but your weight loss too. Get yourself a sports heart monitor and learn how to use it.

Of course. I lose an average of 5 pounds per climbing trip if walls or alpine climbing are involved. But, do you really think that the guy that posted this is regularly climbing walls or big alpine routes? A tiny percentage of the climbing population regularly climbs walls and big alpine routes. Your base assumption is wrong.

I've been getting a lot better at climbing recently but for the life of me I can't burn fat.

You need to consumer fewer calories. Diet is for weight loss; exercise is for fitness.

Christ, enough bullshit already. Weight loss results from negative energy balance, that is, when total energy expenditures exceed total energy intake. It doesn't matter whether the energy deficit results from diet, exercise, or a combination. Studies consistently show that it is easier to lose weight and keep it off when you combine exercise and diet.

Jay

Of course weight loss is the result of a caloric deficit. And yes, That deficit can come from reduced intake or from burning more calories, or a combination of the two. The OP already knows how to exercise. What he probably doesn't know is how to feed himself properly. Therefore, in order to lose weight, he needs to focus on refining his diet. He can work out all day long but until he gets the intake under control he's probably not going to see results. I've been racing bicycles for more than 20 years. I can't tell you how many really fit, fast cyclists I've know that have caried around 10 or 20 extra pounds. Why? Certainley not because they weren't exercising enough.

cardio can be a mixed bag if you are trying to cut weight for climbing. it can cut your flab, but after intense sessions of running or cycling, your body is so starved that you crave and consume more food.

I've tried to cut weight for climbing by cycling 150 miles a weak, and was unsuccessful. It also built up huge leg muscles that have like 10 lbs of bulk that I never use climbing. This season, I have been WAY more successful at dropping weight by cutting overall caloric intake, cutting simple carbs, reducing all carbs, and upping lean proteins. All with less cardio and more gym climbing.

I've had same experience. It wasn't until I cut the crap out of my diet that I was able to get down to around 9 to 10% body fat. In the last year I've lowered the amount of cardio I've done and still lost weight. I firmly believe that losing weight is more a factor of what you eat than how much you work out.

So, that's an hour a day of slow running to burn 1 lb of fat per week, plus reducing caloric intake by 250 kcal/day, to lose another 1/2 lb of fat per week, for a total weight loss rate of 1.5 lb/wk, which about the maximum you can expect to be able to sustain. Sounds good to me.

I've been getting a lot better at climbing recently but for the life of me I can't burn fat.

You need to consumer fewer calories. Diet is for weight loss; exercise is for fitness.

Christ, enough bullshit already. Weight loss results from negative energy balance, that is, when total energy expenditures exceed total energy intake. It doesn't matter whether the energy deficit results from diet, exercise, or a combination. Studies consistently show that it is easier to lose weight and keep it off when you combine exercise and diet.

Jay

Of course weight loss is the result of a caloric deficit. And yes, That deficit can come from reduced intake or from burning more calories, or a combination of the two.

And so you agree, then, that your previous statement, "Diet is for weight loss; exercise is for fitness," was bullshit.